On Becoming a First-time Author

Much has been written about the difference between being a "writer" and being an "author". Some say that being an author is a bad thing, as it implies seeking out publicity and self-agrandizment. Others say it is just a synonym, or a distinction without a difference. I'm coming to realize that the truth is something very different.

 I'm a writer, and I'm writing a book.

Now, that's not all that unusual around here - this is, after all, the premier place for readers, and writers, and wanna-be writers, of Romance fiction to hang out. But I'm a little different. I'm not writing Romance, nor do I really read it that often. I got pulled in a few years ago by the vibrant community surrounding Luna, which (as most of you know) isn't exactly traditional Romance fare.

But my book is actually a work of non-fiction. It sold to my publisher on the basis of my outline, and my experience in the subject matter. I've been writing things for my whole life. Short stories, reports for classes, blog entries, and lots of other things. I had never done a book-length work before, and so I went into the process with no solid expectations, just an idea and an outline.

I'm not sure what I imagined it would be like. Maybe just sitting down at my keyboard, and by some magic, words would flow out of my brain and into the computer's memory. Maybe something else. But one thing is certain, there is more to it than just the writing.

I submitted my first chapter over the weekend. It wasn't nearly as much as I was hoping to have written by now, and it was later than the official deadline, but I got it in. Apparently that has triggered some internal processes at the publisher, because I'm now getting instructions for things that are not directly related to the writing, but more administrative, like arranging for a cover photo.

I guess I knew these things were a part of it, but it didn't really sink in before. This is real. At the end of this process (assuming I don't mess up royally), there will be hard evidence, sitting on a shelf, that I've actually done this.

And that changes things. It adds a level of responsibility for my writing that has never been there for my other efforts. And I guess that's the real dividing line. Responsibility. Others are depending upon me to uphold my end of the bargain.

It is in accepting that responsibility that a change occurs. You're still a writer. You write because you have something inside you that has to come out. That doesn't change. But by becoming responsible, you become, not just another writer, but an Author in the best sense of the word.

- Woody -
Irrational Sanity is the genesis of creatitivity!